Category: Statistics

Adv Ther. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s12325-025-03200-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Physical inactivity contributes to non-communicable disease (NCD) health burden, making it essential to study and address this issue at a population level. The present research aims to explore the patterns of physical activity (PA) in Haryana through a subgroup analysis of the national Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study.

METHODS: This study was conducted between December 2018 and July 2019 in Haryana and included 3918 adult participants. Physical activity was assessed using the validated MDRF Physical Activity Questionnaire (MPAQ), which has domain-wise assessments of PA. Weighted prevalence was estimated using state-specific sampling weights, and associations between PA, anthropometric and biochemical profiles were assessed using bivariate analysis done using Student’s unpaired t tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), or chi-square tests. Factors describing the likelihood of being active were ascertained using a multivariable nominal regression analysis.

RESULTS: About 73% of the study participants were physically inactive, and only 27% were moderately to vigorously active. The time spent in different PA domains varied significantly across sociodemographic variables, including sex, education, region, occupation, and socioeconomic status. Participants from the middle socioeconomic class spent more time in work-related PA, compared to low and upper-class participants who spent more time in general and transport-related PA. There were significant statistical differences between active and non-active groups concerning their mean blood glucose levels, body mass index, waist circumference and systolic blood pressure, but the differences in the lipid profile were non-significant. However, regression analysis showed higher odds of being physically active among younger participants, men, residents in rural areas, and those having fewer years of education.

CONCLUSION: We highlight the alarmingly high prevalence of physical inactivity across different segments of society in Haryana with significant sociodemographic disparities. Considering the increasing prevalence of NCDs, it is high time to prioritise health promotion measures and inculcate more physical activity amongst the population to achieve health-related sustainable development goals.

PMID:40358896 | DOI:10.1007/s12325-025-03200-z

Biochem Genet. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s10528-025-11131-1. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to identify differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in damaged cartilage (DC) and un-damaged cartilage (UDC) in human osteoarthritis (OA), exploring their roles in disease progression through bioinformatics analysis and ceRNA network construction. Cartilage samples from 5 OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were analyzed. RNA sequencing was used to detect the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in DC and UDC samples. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to investigate biological processes. A ceRNA network was constructed, and differentially expressed RNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In the damaged cartilage (DC) samples, 5 lncRNAs were significantly upregulated, and 15 were significantly downregulated, while 8 mRNAs were upregulated, and 8 were downregulated. The differential expression of lncRNAs, including LINC01411, AL596087.2, PCDH20, LRFN2, and AL583785.1, was confirmed using qRT-PCR, with p-values for all results showing statistical significance (p < 0.05). GO/KEGG enrichment analysis revealed key pathways such as Ras, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK that were significantly involved in OA pathogenesis. The ceRNA network construction highlighted crucial miRNA interactions, identifying potential regulators of cartilage-related biological processes. Differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs are involved in critical signaling pathways in OA cartilage, suggesting their potential as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for OA treatment. Further functional studies are needed to fully elucidate their roles in OA pathogenesis.

PMID:40358893 | DOI:10.1007/s10528-025-11131-1

Spine Deform. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s43390-025-01106-y. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Surgical invasiveness indices have been used in adult spine surgery to characterize the invasiveness of complex procedures and for risk stratification. This has not been studied in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a surgical invasiveness index for pediatric spinal deformity surgery.

METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Pediatric database was queried between the years 2016-2022. Patients were included if they were <18 years of age, received posterior or anterior-posterior spinal fusion surgery, and had a diagnosis of spinal deformity. The study cohort was divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort. A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify surgical components associated with operative time. Surgical components of interest included number of posterior fusion levels, number of anterior fusion levels, pelvic instrumentation, posterior column osteotomies, three-column osteotomies, and prior spinal deformity surgery. Statistically significant variables were used to establish a pediatric spinal deformity surgical invasiveness index. The score was assessed and validated using linear and logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis on operative time and allogeneic transfusion.

RESULTS: There were 37,658 patients included (Derivation cohort: 26,372; Validation cohort: 11,286). In the linear regression analysis, more posterior fusion levels (7-12 levels: 0.54, p<0.001;>12 levels: 1.40, p<0.001), anterior fusion 1-3 levels (2.42, p<0.001), anterior fusion ≥4 levels (2.93, p<0.001), pelvic instrumentation (0.79, p<0.001), and previous spinal deformity surgery (0.44, p<0.001) were associated with longer operative time. Each level of posterior column osteotomy (0.13, p<0.001) and three-column osteotomy (0.61, p<0.001) were associated with increased operative time. Points were assigned to each surgical component: 7-12 posterior fusion levels (4 pts), >12 posterior fusion levels (11 pts), anterior fusion 1-3 levels (19 pts), anterior fusion ≥4 levels (23 pts), pelvic instrumentation (6 pts), previous spinal deformity surgery (3 pts), posterior column osteotomy (1 pt per level), and three-column osteotomy (5 pts per level). In the derivation cohort, each point was associated with an increase in operative time by 0.13 hours (R²=0.16, p<0.001). In the validation cohort, each point was associated with an increase in operative time by 0.12 hours (R²=0.15, p<0.001). In the derivation cohort, the area under the curve (AUC) for operative time ≥8 hours and allogeneic transfusion were 0.74 and 0.71, respectively. In the validation cohort, the AUC for operative time ≥8 hours and allogeneic transfusion were 0.74 and 0.70, respectively.

CONCLUSION: A pediatric spinal deformity surgical invasiveness index was created and predictive of prolonged operative time and allogeneic transfusion. This is the first quantitative tool to measure the extent of surgical interventions in pediatric spine surgery.

PMID:40358891 | DOI:10.1007/s43390-025-01106-y

J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s10823-025-09533-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the risk and fear of falling in older adults according to their sociodemographic and health profiles. A total of 110 older adults from a Medical Specialties Center in Sapezal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, were assessed using a sociodemographic and health questionnaire, the Timed Up and Go test, and the Falls Efficacy Scale-International. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests (p < 0.05). Higher risk and fear of falling were found among hypertensive individuals, retirees, those not actively employed, and those with a history of falls or near-falls. In contrast, individuals aged 60-70, those who reported good health, and those using one to two medications regularly had lower risk and fear of falling. The findings underscore the multifactorial nature of fall-related risk and fear in older adults and highlight key sociodemographic and health-related influences.

PMID:40358890 | DOI:10.1007/s10823-025-09533-0

J Autism Dev Disord. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s10803-025-06845-5. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of PMIs for ASD under 3 years, and explore potential moderators influencing the effectiveness through moderator analyses. The study searched five English databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model to calculate Hedges’s g. Subgroup analyses and meta regression assessed the effects of potential moderators on PMIs effectiveness, with evidence quality evaluated using GRADE. A total of 31 RCTs were included in the systematic review, with 26 included in the meta-analysis. The results showed a small overall beneficial effect of PMIs on ASD under 3 years (g = 0.20). Small to trivial positive effects were found in several subdomains, including adaptive skills (g = 0.29), parent responsiveness (g = 0.23), parent-child interaction (g = 0.35), social communication (g = 0.18), and symptoms (g = – 0.22). However, PMIs did not show statistically significant effects on children’s cognitive competence, language, or motor skills domains. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression explored potential moderators, but none significantly influenced the effectiveness of PMIs. The GRADE assessment showed that the certainty of the evidence ranged from moderate to low. This study confirmed that PMIs demonstrate positive effects on children under 3 years old with ASD, and showed beneficial outcomes in most subdomains. However, the evidence was of moderate to low certainty, so these findings should be interpreted with caution. In the future, broader databases and more large-scale, multicenter, high-quality clinical studies are needed to confirm these effects.

PMID:40358871 | DOI:10.1007/s10803-025-06845-5

Environ Monit Assess. 2025 May 13;197(6):652. doi: 10.1007/s10661-025-14073-8.

ABSTRACT

Due to the toxicity and persistence of trace chemical elements, soil contamination has become a crucial issue for its sensitive impact on biodiversity and human health. It is of interest to assess and understand the distribution and sources of potentially toxic elements in the soil, particularly in regions with high topographical and geological diversity. This research represents the first attempt to create a consistent spatial database of the topsoil quality across Albania. Seventy-five topsoil samples were collected at a density of one site every 380 km² and analyzed for 13 chemical elements. The content of potentially toxic elements has been assessed and compared with the neighboring and European regions, as well as the recommended threshold and guideline values. Concentration and geochemically normalized data were used to distinguish between the natural and anthropogenic origins of elements, determine their background levels, and map out the contaminated areas. The content of elements from natural sources remained essentially constant and revealed small variation, while those of anthropogenic and geogenic origins exhibited relatively high variability. Elevated content and significant variation were observed for Cr, Ni, and Co, with an increasing trend, particularly in the eastern part. The geochemical normalization of the data yielded significant insights into the natural and anthropogenic sources and the baseline levels of trace elements in this study area. Factor analysis indicated notable differences between the structure of the concentration and normalized data and identified the same outliers, primarily linked to geological and human-related sources.

PMID:40358823 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-025-14073-8

Phys Eng Sci Med. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s13246-025-01542-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a prevalent vestibular disorder encountered in clinical settings. Diagnosis of this condition primarily relies on the observation of nystagmus, which involves monitoring the eye movements of patients. However, existing medical equipment for collecting and analyzing nystagmus data has notable limitations and deficiencies. To address this challenge, a comprehensive BPPV nystagmus data collection and intelligent analysis framework has been developed. Our framework leverages a neural network model, Egeunet, in conjunction with mathematical statistical techniques like Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), enabling precise segmentation of eye structures and accurate analysis of eye movement data. Furthermore, an eye movement analysis method has been introduced, designed to enhance clinical decision-making, resulting in more intuitive and clear analysis outcomes. Benefiting from the high sensitivity of our eye movement capture and its robustness in the face of environmental conditions and noise, our BPPV nystagmus data collection and intelligent analysis framework has demonstrated outstanding performance in BPPV detection.

PMID:40358819 | DOI:10.1007/s13246-025-01542-0

J Neurooncol. 2025 May 13. doi: 10.1007/s11060-025-05065-2. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a rare pediatric CNS embryonal tumor with poor survival. The Pediatric Proton/Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR) was queried for outcomes data from prospectively consenting pediatric patients with ETMR treated with proton radiation therapy (RT).

METHODS: 20 patients (2013-2021) at 9 institutions had ETMR; 2 with prior RT were excluded from statistical analyses (PPCR ETMR, N = 18). Overall Survival (OS) and Event Free Survival (EFS) analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank values. Median follow-up was calculated using the reverse Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS: Median age at RT was 3.0 years (1.7-12.2); median follow-up was 55.5 months (2.6-119.4). 8 patients (44%) expired and 6 patients (33%) are surviving ≥ 55 months. 11 (61%) patients received systemic therapy with stem cell support. The majority (89%) had focal RT (median dose 54 Gy), while 2 patients received craniospinal irradiation (CSI, 30.6-36 Gy). 4-year OS and EFS were 59.6% and 54.2%, respectively. Local control (LC) at 4 years was 81%. No differences in OS or EFS were observed for receipt of systemic therapy with stem cell support (p = 0.361, p = 0.57), progression prior to RT (p = 0.127, p = 0.18), or surgery to RT ≥ 200 days (p = 0.35, p = 0.254). Symptomatic radionecrosis was not reported.

CONCLUSION: Focal proton RT provided effective local control as part of multimodality therapy for ETMR, with encouraging survival for this rare and often infant age tumor. Outcomes for CSI were limited to 2 patients treated upfront, and 1 patient receiving salvage CSI for disseminated relapse after focal RT who is surviving > 1 year.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: DFCI protocol 12-103, clinicaltrials.gov NCT01696721, date of registration 9/27/2012.

PMID:40358803 | DOI:10.1007/s11060-025-05065-2

Eur J Popul. 2025 May 13;41(1):12. doi: 10.1007/s10680-025-09733-x.

ABSTRACT

Couple relations are a key determinant of mental and physical well-being in old age. However, we do not know how the advantages and disadvantages associated with partnership histories vary between socioeconomic groups. We create relationship history typologies for the cohorts 1945-1957 using the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe and examine, for the first time, how relationship histories relate to multiple indicators of well-being by educational attainment. The results show that stable marriages predict greater well-being, compared to single and less stable partnership histories. The positive outcomes are similar across all educational groups. Those with lower education who have divorced experience even lower well-being in old age. The interaction analyses suggest that individuals with fewer resources could suffer more from losing a partner. The findings underscore that current and past romantic relationships are linked to well-being in old age and help policymakers identify vulnerable subgroups among the ageing population.

PMID:40358790 | DOI:10.1007/s10680-025-09733-x

Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 2025 Mar 31;95(1). doi: 10.4081/monaldi.2024.2913. Epub 2024 Apr 30.

ABSTRACT

As a chronic illness, tuberculosis is known to negatively affect patients’ day-to-day functioning. Therefore, evaluating all aspects of their health is imperative to improve their quality of life. The current study was conducted to assess the quality of life of patients receiving tuberculosis therapy and to identify the associated risk factors. A prospective, cross-sectional study of 6 months was planned and conducted in 66 Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected patients who met the pre-defined inclusion criteria. All pertinent data about the patients were collected in a precisely created data collection form. Further, the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire was used to evaluate the patient’s quality of life. Of the 66 patients who were enrolled, 42 (63.6%) were male, and 14 (21.2%) belonged to the age group of 61-70 years. The domains of physical, psychological, social relationships, and environment had mean scores of 46.76±20.15 standard deviation (SD), 55.02±16.12 SD, 54.83±13.91 SD, and 64.92±14.59 SD, respectively. All four quality-of-life domains were found to have statistically significant associations with a variety of sociodemographic and treatment-related variables. This study gives healthcare practitioners an insight into the need to evaluate patients’ health-related quality of life, particularly for individuals with chronic illnesses.

PMID:40357675 | DOI:10.4081/monaldi.2024.2913